“It is evident we are hitting the mark in our campaign against illegal drugs. But more than the statistics, the real score in the government’s intensified anti-drug operations is that it has pulled down the country’s crime rate by 32 prcent,” Andanar pointed out, citing the latest report from the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Andanar attributed the President’s high satisfaction, approval and trust ratings from his successful anti-drug war which resulted in lower crimes.

“People feel safer in the streets and at night because the number of theft, carjacking, robbery, rape, physical injury has decreased. At the end of the day, this is what counts,” he added. “These pushers and users voluntarily surrendered through the continuous efforts and relentless operations of the PNP to curtail illegal drug trades in the country, which is in line with President Duterte’s directive,” said Andanar.

Out of the 40,371 anti-drug operations conducted by the PNP from July 1 to December 31 under Project Double Barrel Alpha, some 43,114 were arrested and 2,167 were neutralized.

Moreover, a total of 5,911,306 houses have been visited in the same period through Oplan Tokhang, wherein police personnel knock on the houses of suspected drug personalities and ask them to mend their ways.

Treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts form part of the second phase of the President’s anti-drug war.

The Duterte administration has recently inaugurated a mega drug rehabilitation facility in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija and expects treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts to be in full gear by 2017. PNAnorthboundasia.com